Time Heals All Wounds
by Avalon Storme
Summary: Jimmy and Cindy always had a complicated relationship. . . but after Jimmy saved Cindy's life, it became even worse. Can they ever recover? Sequel to A Cold Winter's Day. . . JCCOMPLETE!
1. Gabby, for short

Hello! Well, here it is ,the sequel to A Cold Winter's Day. If you haven't read that story, please do. It isn't completely neccesary, because I will try to explain as much as possible, so enjoy. Oh, and I don't own Jimmy Neutron. . . at least not leagally!

Chapter 1

Allthough she had never met Jimmy, she wanted him dead.

Her name was Gabrielle Bennet, Gabby for short. Her father had always called her Gabs.

Gabby had been told many times that she was beautiful. Tall for her fourteen years, with auburn hair, blue eyes, and a confident smile, she was perfect. She had also been told that she looked like her father. When she was a little girl, Gabby had always taken that as a compliment, for her dad had been her best friend. Her only friend.

It was very difficult for Gabby to make friends. In Arizona, where she lived, she had never gotten close to anyone. They all teased her for being smart. What they didn't know was that she wasn't just smart, she was a genius, just like her father. She'd been forbidden from telling everyone that simple fact because of her father's past with his gifts. He'd been isolated from his friends, also.

Now, Gabby had no friends. She was completely alone. Her mother had walked out on her family when Gabby was only six. Her father had always told her that he would never leave like her mother. He would always be there to comfort her when she needed to be held. Gabby knew that was no longer possible. Her father was dead. . . .and Jimmy had killed him.

Jimmy always loved the beginning of a school year, and this year was no different. In fact, it may have been one of the most important grades. He was starting high-school.

Sure, he'd been offered the chance to start ninth grade many times before, but he'd decided that he'd rather stay with his friends in the grade that he belonged in. He had already skipped up to college once, and that was a disaster. He didn't want the same thing to happen again.

Jimmy sat in his lab on that early Monday morning. He'd been dressed and ready to go for some time, but he had alot of things to think about before the bus came.

Jimmy stood up as slowly as possible to avoid any discomfort that he might encounter with his wound. It had been two months since he'd been shot, but the wound wasn't completely healed. Everytime he turned a certain way, he could feel the pain, as if the bullet was re-entering it's destination over and over. And each time he felt the pain, he was reminded of how he'd recieved the bullet-sized hole in his abdomen.

He'd been in therapy ever since he'd gotten out of the hospital, and made a fast recovery. It helped that his friends were there every step of the way. Well, almost all of his friends. Jimmy hadn't spoken much to Cindy since the incident. He felt as if she was avoiding him for some reason. He knew, of course, why she was avoiding him. Much had happened between them the day that he'd been shot. He had saved her life.

He had wrestled the gun from the gunman in order to protect her, and in the process gotten himself shot. He remembered little about what happened after he'd been shot. He had only managed to stay concious for a short while. But, he did remember one thing. While he was fighting to stay awake, Cindy had managed to stay by his side, and told him the truth. That she loved him. She'd loved him for a long while.

And then, when she visited him in the hospital, she'd broke down. She thanked him for saving her. He didn't need to be thanked, because he knew if anything had happened to her, he wouldn't have been able to live with himself. And, then, when she fell asleep in his arms, he reflected her confession. . .. he loved her, also. Jimmy was still unsure if Cindy had heard him tell her. But, he knew that their was no other explanation for her avoiding him for the whole summer. . . .

Jimmy thoughts were interupted by the bus horn, as he sped outside and hopped on board just in time. He sat down in an empty seat as the bus pulled away from the curb.

"Can I sit here?" he heard a voice say.

Jimmy looked up, and found himself staring into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen, and yet they looked so famillar. . .

"Uh, sure." he said, pulling himself out of his trance.

A girl, about his age sat down next to him.

"My name's Jimmy." he said, after a moment of silence.

"I'm Gabby." said the girl, as she stuck out her hand for Jimmy to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Jimmy."

Okay, how was it? Please review.


	2. Confusion

Well, here's the second chapter. Thanks for anyone who reviewed! ENJOY!

Chapter 2

Cindy dreaded starting high school. Sure, she was ready to do everything that high school offered- better classes, after school clubs, and dances. She was exited about that aspect of high school. But, she was dreading the rest. She dreaded the ridicule, the teasing, and most of all, she dreaded facing Jimmy.

Cindy had no idea why she was so scared about the thought of talking to him. After all, he had saved her life. She knew that was one of the reasons, though. He had seen her vulnerable, and not many people had. She was also afraid of the last conversation that they'd had. Technically, it wasn't a conversation. She had been falling asleep when Jimmy had whispered those few words that she'd waited so long to hear. Cindy knew that she could have opened her eyes when he told her, but it would be much simpler to stay asleep.

Cindy thought about all of this while she was getting dressed. She checked her watch, after throwing her hair into a pony tail. Cindy had stayed the night with Libby, so they could get ready for their first day of high school together. Their had been complications with Cindy's ankle, so she was still in crutches. Cindy slowly made her way down the stairs.

"Come on, Cindy, the bus is coming." said Libby, clearly exited.

"I'm coming, Libs." she replied, taking the last few stairs.

"Bye girls" said Libby's mother, "Have a good first day."

Cindy and Libby stepped out into the sunlight, just as the bus was pulling up.

Cindy felt her stomach give a leap, as she thought of who would already be on board. They smiled at the bus driver, nervously, as they stepped onto the bus.

Cindy looked frantically around for an empty seat, and found that their was only one available. Libby slid inside, and Cindy sat on the outside, to have more room for her leg.

After a few minutes, Cindy realized that Libby was looking to the left of them, into the seat next to theirs.

"What is it, Libs?" she questioned, turning her head towards where Libby was looking.

There, Jimmy sat, talking with another girl.

"Who is that?' she whispered, turning back to Libby.

"I don't know, but her shoes are so cute!"

Cindy glared, and Libby decided better of her last statement.

"They sure look like their having a good time, though." said Libby.

Cindy rolled her eyes at her best friend, and was silent the whole ride to school.

Cindy managed to exit the bus and make it into Alcott High School without being noticed by Jimmy. Of course, she was unsure that he would have noticed her if she were standing right in front of him, because he was immensly engrossed in conversation.

Libby and Cindy had to go their seperate ways, because they had different classes. Libby went to Algebra, while Cindy walked towards the Honors classroom. At Alcott High, they had only one class for gifted students, which was Honors. They basically took I.Q. tests and competed in trivia competitions around the nation. Their were only three spots available for each grade.

Cindy pulled out her schedule, and made sure of the classroom number.

"132, 132" Cindy repeated, as she made her way down the halls. Finally, she reached the door to the classroom.

Cindy wasn't surprised to find everyone else was already seated. They were aranged by grade at tables. She spotted Jimmy, and made her way towards the ninth grade table. Cindy couldn't help but notice the stares she recieved as she slowly used her crutch to guide her across the room. Being held hostage had made Cindy a known to just about everyone in town. Finally, she reached the ninth grade table. She was surprised to find the girl from the bus seated across from Jimmy.

"Hi." she muttered, as she slowly eased into the chair next to Jimmy, and propped her crutch against the table.

"Oh, Cindy, hi!" he said. Jimmy had aparantly forgotten that Cindy was one of the ones chosen to take Honors.

For a moment, they all sat in silence, and then Jimmy realized that introductions needed to be made.

"This is Gabby Bennet, a new student from Arizona." said Jimmy, motioning to the girl.

"And this is Cindy Vortex" he said pointing to Cindy, "my friend." he added quickly.

Cindy and Gabby shook hands.

_Bennet. . . now why does that sound so familliar?_ Cindy thought. Then, she remembered. The gunman's last name was Bennet. And he was from Arizona, also.

"It can't be. . . " she said accidentally aloud.

Jimmy gave her a questioning look, and then turned back to finish his conversation with Gabby.

The first day of high school was already over. Cindy was surprised at how fast it had went by. It wasn't as bad as she thought.

Cindy had a doctor's appointment at five, and then had to go to a psychiatrist at six. Her mother had thought it was a good idea to visit one, after the grueling experience of being held at gunpoint.

Because of her appointments, Cindy's mother was picking her up from school. This, Cindy was grateful for. She'd noticed that Jimmy had spent most of the day with Gabby, and she didn't feel that she could handle an encounter on the bus.

Cindy was seated in the back of her mother's car. She kept her leg propped up on the seat, as she thought.

_Bennet is a common name. _she thought, _I mean, there's no way that she's related to that monster. . . _

Cindy pushed that thougth from her mind. Gabby seemed pretty nice.

Jimmy had made a new friend. He and Gabby had so much in common. They had the same likes, dislikes, and most of all, Jimmy was surprised to find out that Gabby was a genius.

He now sat alone in his lab, not working on anything, just thinking. Jimmy had had many crushes when he was in elementary school, and even though he had only known her for a short while, he was already staring to like Gabby. This confused him, greatly.

Since neither of Gabby's parents were no longer around, she was staying with her Aunt Jade.

Gabby was in her room, sitting on her bed.

She was looking through a large, leather-bound photo album. There were so many pictures of her father and her together.

She felt her blood grow hot as she thought of how she would no longer be able to take any more pictures with her father. He was gone, and he wasn't coming back. Gabby threw the album across the room with a frustrated yell.

Jimmy was going to pay for what he'd done.

REVIEW!


	3. Hurt

Thanks for the reviews. I want to make it to at least 50 reviews by the end. . . since it will only be about 10 chapters long. Anyway, enjoy and please review! Oh, and a one more thing. You may have noticed that the other story was set in winter, and this one, right when school starts back. I also said it was two months later when this happened. I did not mean to do that, but of course, the other one could have happened in March since it's still winter in march, and this one in May. Also, I may have said what month the other one took place in, but it was a mistake. Plus, I'm not sure when their school's get out and in, so, I'll just say this is in May Sorry for the confusion, everyone makes mistakes.

Cindy didn't like visiting a psychiatrist. She was seated on a leather couch in Dr. Jone's office. Cindy knew that Dr. Jones was nice, and meant well, but she disliked having everything she said analyzed. On this particular day, Dr. Jones was taking longer than usual to get settled.

"Hello, Cindy." she said, after finally sitting behind her desk. "How are you today?"

"Couldn't be better." replied Cindy, sarcastically.

"Why don't we pick up from where we left off last week, Cindy. "

Cindy shrugged. She didn't feel much like talking. She had too much on her mind. Cindy knew that that was what a psychiatrist was for, to tell her problems, and think of ways to solve them, but Cindy just looked around the room. She noticed some of the photos hanging on the wall. Pictuers of Dr. Jones and her family.

"Cindy? You've already told me how the story happened. . . basically. But, I could tell that you left a few details out. Like, for instance, how you ended up at the bank with your friend in the first place. Or, how you in particular were chosen as a hostage. I know this must be hard for you. . .but unless you tell me more, I won't be able to help you."

Cindy shrugged once more, and began speaking.

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"Let's start at the beginning. How did you end up at the bank in the first place?"

Cindy was reluctant to tell Dr. Jones that she had just wanted to begin an argument with Jimmy, and that's how she ended up there. But, Cindy also knew that psychiatrists weren't allowed to reveal patients information, so she knew she could tell her anything.

"Well, it was in March. It was really cold that morning."she started.

"Yes?"

"I knew that Jimmy was going to the bank. He did every weekend. When I saw him leave the house, I decided to go down. . . "

"Hmm. . . " said Dr. Jones, as she scribbled in her notebook. "Are you and Jimmy friends? What kind of relationship do you two have, exactly?"

Cindy laughed at this question. She hoped Dr.Jones had all evening.

Jimmy was at the Candy Bar. He was seated in the normal booth, alone. He had called to see if Sheen and Carl could come, but they were busy. Carl was going to a llama seminar, and Sheen had a date with Libby. That just left Cindy. He'd called to see if she was home, but her mother had revealed that she was seeing a shrink. Jimmy didn't need a shrink. At least, that's what he told his parents. He promised them that he was fine, and could handle things himself, so they let him. In truth, Jimmy was just confused. He was still in shock at everything that had happened.

There Jimmy sat for over an hour, thinking the whole ordeal over, again and again. Finally, he noticed someone standing over him, and looked up.

"Oh, hi, Gabby." he said, as his new friend sat down across from him.

"Hey, Jimmy. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing. . . so what are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard this was the best place to go for a milkshake, so I decided to check it out." she replied.

In a matter of minutes, Jimmy and Gabby were once again talking like old friends. They were discussing quantum physics. For hours on end, they discussed their viewpoints and theories, and when Jimmy checked his watch, he was surprised to find that it was after nine. He knew the Candy Bar stayed opened until twelve, but he couldn't believe he'd been talking so long.

"Gabby, it's been really great talking to you, but it's getting kind of late, you know, we have school tommorow. . . " he said.

"Oh, sure. . . " she said, standing up, and heading for the door.

"I'll walk you home, if you want. . . " replied Jimmy, shyly.

Jimmy stood up quickly, ignoring the sharp pain in his side. They stepped out into the cool darkness, and were met by the site of millions of shining stars. The walked a few feet away from the Candy Bar, onto the sidewalk.

"Wow, they're beautiful. . . " said Gabby, looking upwards.

Jimmy nodded and looked at Gabby. She looked so pretty, and. . .

Before he knew what was happening, Jimmy kissed Gabby.

Gabby pulled away, looking entirely shocked at what had just happened, and so did Jimmy. But, Jimmy wasn't shocked at what had just happened, he was shocked at who had witnessed the whole thing. There, Cindy stood, at the entrance to the Candy Bar. Jimmy had never seen Cindy look so hurt and confused in his life. And he was the one who had hurt and confused her. . .

Okay, I know I'm not good a kissing scenses, but you get what happened. Please review!1


	4. Thanks for the homework, Jimmy

Well, here goes, chapter four. . . enjoy. . .REVIEW!

Cindy was in her bedroom, laying on her bed, with her bad leg propped on a pillow. It was only the second day of school, but Cindy didn't feel like going. She told her parents, it was because her leg was bothering her, so they let her stay. Cindy knew better. Sure, her ankle did feel slightly uncomfortable, but it always did. She didn't want to see Jimmy.

While she was at the psychiatrist the day before, she'd decided to tell Jimmy why she had ignored him those few months. Cindy had reavealed to Dr. Jones the entire story, and it had been the docor's idea to tell Jimmy. Cindy was actually going to do it. She called Jimmy's house to see if he was home, and found out that he'd went to the Candy Bar. That was when she'd went, in hopes that they'd be able to work everything out. What she hadn't bargained for was Jimmy being at the Candy Bar with Gabby. Cindy thought about what she'd seen the night before. Jimmy had kissed another girl. . . and they'd just met.

Cindy was also concerned about Gabby's last name. She knew it was probably coincidential, but still, she couldn't help but make the connection between Jimmy's new friend, and the man who'd caused everything in the first place.

For the entire day, the only thing Jimmy could concentrate on was the look on Cindy's face the night before. He could tell that she had been upset by the hurt look on her face, and the fact that she had slowly made her way home without a word to him.

_What kind of idiot are you? _Jimmy asked himself. _You finally had everything worked out, and you blew it. . . _

He told himself that for the whole, day, and by the end, he felt terrible. He had just met Gabby, and he'd kissed her. He had known Cindy for seven years and nothing had happened between them, no matter how hard he hoped that something would.

There, Jimmy sat in Honors, staring off into space. He could tell that Gabby was looking at him, but was unsure what he should say, so he just stayed quiet.

Jimmy was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize that his named was being called by the teacher. After few seconds, though, he heard the sniggering of the older kids, and felt Gabby tap him on the shoulder. Jimmy looked up at the teacher, questioningly.

"I'm sorry to interupt you, Mr. Neutron, from your wonderful daydream." said Mr. Jones. "But, I want you to take this homework to Miss Vortex after school. It seems she's not feeling well today." he said, as he handed a stack of papers to Jimmy.

"But, why do I have to take it?" he asked, unsure if Cindy would want to speak to him.

"Well, either I am misinformed, or she is your neighbor. . ." replied Mr. Jones.

Jimmy nodded his head in reply, as he waited in anticipation for the last bell to ring.

Jimmy and Gabby stood outside the school.

"So, Jimmy, do you want me to come with you to Cindy's house?" asked Gabby.

"No thanks, Gabby, I think I should go alone." he said.

"Oh." she replied, looking hurt.

"Look, Gabby," said Jimmy, turning to her, "I like you. . . but we just met, and Cindy and I. . . we. . ."he started.

"I get it. " said Gabby, glaring, as she stormed off.

Jimmy shook his head and turned towards the street.

Gabby stood at the school entrance fo a few minutes, thinking. After meeting Jimmy, she had thoughts of forgetting her plan. But, now after he'd blew her off, she knew what she had to do. And, everytime she thought about her father, hatred burned inside her for Jimmy. She had a plan, and was going to put it into action as soon as possible.

Cindy was extremely bored. She had no idea what people who skipped all the time did all day. She just lay in the bed and watched soap operas, and ate as much junk food as possible. Cindy knew her hopes of a perfect attendance record had been dashed, but she didn't care. If it prevented her from seeing Jimmy, she'd give just about anything.

Cindy sighed, and sat up on her bed. Her leg felt unusualy good. Only a dull throbbing. Of course, she'd been sitting stationary for so long, she knew it was probably asleep.

The doorbell rang, and Cindy started to stand, but then remembered that it would be extremely difficult to get down the stairs by herself.

"Come in" she yelled.

A few short moments later, there was a knocking on her bedroom door, and she wondered who it could possibly be.

"Who is it?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Jimmy." he said, on the other side of the door.

Cindy felt her heart give a small leap at that name, and then remembered just why she was staying home in the first place.

"Go away, Neutron." she said.

Jimmy flinched. He hated it when she called him that.

"I brought your homework." he said simply, opening the door.

"Did I tell you to come in." she said, agressively.

Jimmy walked into the room, and sat the stack of papers on her computer desk, and then hovered awkwardly for a second before speaking.

"You don't look sick to me." he said, looking at her.

"I'm not. My ankle was giving me trouble." she said, quickly lying. "Why do you care, anyway?"

"Cindy. . . about last night. .." he said.

"Look, Neutron, I don't care what you do with your little girlfriend. It's just, I thought. . ." she started.

"I know. Gabby isn't my girlfriend, Cindy. I told her that today. It's just that it seemed like you were avoiding me for the last two months." he said, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Cindy looked away for a moment, and thought about what Dr. Jones had told her.

"It's not that I was avoiding you, Jimmy." she started, her voice growing softer. "I was just scared."

"Of what?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Of everything. We've fought for so long. . . I mean, for half our lives, we were down each other's throats."

Jimmy nodded. He knew what she meant. One day they were enemies, and the next. . .

"Cindy," he said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I kissed Gabby. It was a stupid thing to do. I mean we just met yesterday."

"And I thought you were a genius." she said, jokingly.

"And, even though I am sorry about that, I'm more sorry that I hurt you." he added quietly.

Cindy quickly leaned forward and gave him a small hug, and said "It's okay."

As Jimmy stood up , she added sarcastically, " Thanks for the homework, Jimmy."

"No problem." he replied, as he left the room.

I know, kind of a boring chapter. And I know how fans get frustrated when people put Cindy and Jimmy together too soon, so don't worry, they're not together. . . yet. REVIEW!


	5. In The Morning

Thanks for the reviews!

**Author's Note- **Someone reviewed and said that they didn't care about the homework thing, and just wanted to hear about Gabby. Be patient. I had to add the homework thing in order for Jimmy and Cindy to make up. Plus, when Cindy said thanks for the homework, she wasn't really talking about the homework. More like speaking figuratively, saying thanks for telling Gabby off. Well, since I've got that off my chest, please read and review. If I don't get more reviews, i'm not sure If I will continue. . .

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Gabby knew exactly where to get a gun. Her aunt had a pistol stored away in her bedroom closet, just in case. Her aunt was a timid woman. After Patrick had been shot, she had went out and bought the pistol, to protect herself.

That night, as Gabby sat on her bed, she thought. Why did all of this have to happen to her? She had always been a good kid. She never did anything wrong, and always minded her elders. Gabby had never asked for anything more than her father's love. She didn't even want to see her mother. Patrick was enough.

Gabby had heard the story of how her father had died. Apparently, he'd attempted to rob a bank and left with two hostages- a girl, named Cindy, and a boy named Jimmy. There had been a struggle, which landed the boy wounded, but her father killed. Gabby didn't believe the stories. She knew her father would never do such a thing. Patrick had been perfect in her eyes. He was a wonderful father. He kissed her bruises when she fell, and told her to keep her head held high when teased. How could such a loving person cause so much pain?

Gabby's thoughts were intterupted when she heard the sound of footsteps on the landing. Her aunt's distinct steps echoed through the quiet house as she made her way to the bathroom. Gabby slowly lay back down. She didn't want her aunt to know that she was still awake. If she did, she might be suspicious of what Gabby was doing.

In a few moments, the footsteps died down, and Gabby heard the squeaky sound of her aunts bedroom door shutting.

Gabby had no idea how long she waited for her aunt to fall asleep. Since her aunt's room was next door to hers, she could tell when she fell asleep. After hearing her breathing slow down and become steady, she readied herself to make her move.

Gabby tiptoed to her aunt's room, and slowly opened the door. She tried as hard as possible to be quiet, and succeded. She managed to make it across the room to the closet without waking her sleeping aunt. The closet door loomed in her view, and she debated on whether or not she could do what she was about to. Slowly, she opened the door to the closet, and spotted the gun case on the top shelf. Standing on tiptoe, she reached for the gun case, and grabbed the edge of it. She pulled it slowly, but it didn't budge. Pulling ever so slightly harder, she jerked it from the top shelf, with a loud noise.

Gabby sqeezed her eyes shut, and hoped that her aunt had not heard. After a few seconds of that posture, she glanced in the direction of the bed, and to her relief, her aunt had not budged.

Quickly, Gabby ran across the room, and into her own. She fastened the door quietly, and tossed the gun case on her bed. She knew it was dumb to turn the light on, so she instead opened the blinds. Sitting on her bed, she opened the case.

There was the gun. It was small, and silver. The moonlight danced across it's metallic surface, as she lifted it from the velvet case lining. The gun felt heavier than she thought. A thought hit her, as she positioned it in her hand. It was the same type of weapon that had killed her father. Gabby dropped the gun in her backpack, slid the case under her bed, and went to sleep.

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Cindy tossed and turned the entire night. For some odd reason, she had a sick feeling in her stomach. She knew that her ankle was probably the reason she was still awake, but she felt as if it was something more.

Her head swam with thoughts as she tried to get comfortable. She knew that she should have probably told Jimmy about Gabby's last name, but it had slipped her mind during the last coversation she'd had with him.

She tried hard to convince herself that it was just a coincidence. It was such a common last name, and Gabby seemed so nice. How could she be related to such an evil person?

Cindy sighed, and finally managed to get into a position that gave her little discomfort. She would tell him in the morning.

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Well, how was that chapter? Since I write these chapters one at a time, I don't even know what's going to happen yet. Any suggestions on who gets shot? I take all suggestions. . . and will think about them. REVIEW!


	6. Disbelief

Well, thanks for the reviews. Here's the next chapter. ENJOY AND REVIEW!

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Cindy awoke bright and early the next morning. Her feeling of dread had completely vanished when she drew back her curtains to reveal a beautiful sunrise. She went through her normal routine, dressing her ankle carefully, and then slipped into her school clothes. It wasn't until she was down stairs at the kitchen table that she remembered what she was going to tell Jimmy that day.

Cindy knew that Jimmy had no idea of the connection between Gabby and Patrick. After he had been shot, Jimmy had refused to find out anymore information on his shooter. Cindy found that quite odd, but she knew that Jimmy might not want to think of Patrick as a person. She knew it would be easier for Jimmy to hate the gunman without knowing his back ground. That way, Patrick couldn't be seen in a humane light, and Jimmy wouldn't feel guilty for hating him.

As Cindy slowly sipped her orange juice, she was hit with a wave of remorse. She still felt guilty for getting Jimmy into that mess in the first place. If she hadn't been so cocky with Patrick, he wouldn't have messed with Jimmy. He would have just taken her as a prisoner. But then, she would probably be dead.

Then, Cindy had an idea! Before telling Jimmy about Patrick's last name, she would simply ask Gabby. But what if she was unwilling to cooperate?

Cindy sighed and lay her head on the hard wood of the kitchen table. It was going to be a long day.

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Gabby was ready. When she awoke that morning, she immediately got dressed, grabbed her back pack, and sped out the front door before her aunt had a chance to talk to her.

When the bus pulled up, Gabby stepped aboard, just as she had done the past few days. She slowly walked down the aisle and sat in the very back seat, alone. She placed her backpack on her lap, where it's contents would be safe.

There she sat, gazing at the bundle in her lap. A lump grew in her throat as she thought of what was in her pack. She had never shot a gun before. In fact, she'd never even held a gun until the night before. She hoped she would be able to learn before the time came. Gabby had no idea why she felt as if today were the day that the deed needed to be done. Something was telling her that this was her big chance, and if she didn't take it, then there wouldn't be another one anytime soon.

Gabby was pulled from her trance when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up, to find Cindy standing over her.

"Hey, Gabby. . . " said Cindy, uncertainly, as she sat in the seat across from her.

"Um, hi." replied Gabby, sitting her backpack in the floor.

"So, what's going on?" asked Cindy.

"Nothing much."

Cindy sighed, and decided that no time was better than the present.

"Gabby, can I ask you a personal question?" Cindy asked, looking at Gabby.

Gabby shrugged, as the knot in her throat grew even bigger.

"Your last name. . . I've heard it somewhere before." said Cindy.

"And? I have a common last name."

"I was just saying. I'm not sure if you know or not, but a few months ago, I was involved in a bank hold up. The gunman. . . his last name was Bennet..." said Cindy, simply.

Gabby didn't say anything.

"He was also from Arizona. . . " said Cindy.

Gabby still refused to reply.

"They told me his full name was Patrick Tyler Bennet, and I was just wondering if he was any relation to you." said Cindy.

Gabby froze for a moment, and went rigid. How did she know?

"No, I'm sorry," Gabby finally replied. "I've never heard of him."

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Cindy sat in the honors classroom, supposedly overlooking her homework. She was almost positive she had every problem right. In truth, she wasn't paying a bit of attention to the piece of paper in her hand, but instead to Jimmy. He sat across from her. Gabby hadn't come into the classroom yet, and Cindy knew it was a perfect opportunity to tell Jimmy.

Cindy knew that Gabby had lied. When she had asked Gabby about her last name, she could see the glint in her eye. She could see Gabby flinch when Patrick's name was mentioned. Cindy had also thought about the possible relation between the two. Patrick could have been Gabby's uncle, or cousin, but Cindy felt that they were closer. She could see the pain in Gabby's eyes when Patrick was mentioned. Cindy was almost sure that Gabby was Patrick's daughter.

Cindy cleared her throat in order to get Jimmy's attention. He was overlooking his homework, also, even though all of his questions were correct.

When Jimmy didn't budge, Cindy cleared her throat even louder, recieving the annoyed looks of her fellow classmates, but getting Jimmy's attention.

"What is it, Cindy?" he asked, laying his paper on the table.

"I need to tell you something. . . important."

Jimmy nodded as he waited for her to continue.

"You know how Gabby's last name is Bennet, right?" she asked, cautiously. She didn't know how Jimmy would react to the news.

"Sure. . . " he said, uncertainly.

"I know that it's a very common name, but. . .I know someone else with the same last name. " she said.

"Really? Are they related to Gabby somehow?" he asked.

"I think so. And, they're also from Phoenix, Arizona." she added.

"So? What does this have to do with you?" he asked.

"Well, the person who has the same last name. . .he was the gunman, Patrick." said Cindy quietly.

For a moment, Jimmy said nothing. He was unsure what exactly Cindy was trying to say.

"I think that Gabby is his daughter. I'm not sure what she's doing in Retroville, but I don't think it's a coincidence. . ." said Cindy.

Jimmy still sat stationary, not even blinking. Then, finally he spoke.

"I don't believe you." he said, standing up and leaving the classroom.

Cindy hadn't known what to expect from Jimmy when she told him the news. She knew that he might be a little shocked. She also thought that he might come up with some suggestions for why she was in town. But, she hadn't expected the reaction she'd just recieved. Why didn't he believe her?

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REVIEW!


	7. Utter Confusion

Thanks for the reviews! Okay, here's the next chapter, please READ and REVIEW!

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Cindy still sat in the Honors classroom. She stared straight ahead, ignoring the fact that the other kids were whispering about her, and Jimmy's storming out of the classroom. She tried desperatley hard to pay attention to her lesson. The teacher was saying something about dividing trinomials into binomials. She stared at the board, but had no idea what was written on it.

Cindy wasn't thinking about school. She was worried about Jimmy. Why didn't he believe her when she told him her theory? She had no idea why he had taken the news so hard. Was it possible that he actually did like Gabby? At this realization, Cindy lay her head on the desk.

Although Cindy was almost positive that Gabby was Patrick's daughter, she still had no idea what she was doing in town. Perhaps she had wanted to visit, to see what the town was like in which her father had spent his last few days on Earth. Or, maybe she was just coming to live with the only relative that she still had alive. Or. . .

Cindy's head jerked up off her desk at the idea she just had, scattering her papers everywhere, and recieving an annoyed look from the teacher.

What if Gabby was there for revenge? After all, her father had been killed. Cindy knew that Jimmy had pulled the trigger unintentionally, and wounded himself in the process. She knew that. But what if Gabby didn't? What if she thought that her father had been killed on purpose, and she was out to avenge his death?

Cindy scooped up her backpack, and flew at the door, ignoring the protests from her teacher.

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Jimmy walked down the hallways, alone. He had no idea where he was going, and he had no idea why. Jimmy didn't know why he had gotten so upset at Cindy's statement. He didn't think it was true. Bennet was such a common name, and there was no way Gabby was related to such a horrible person. Still, a small sickening feeling coated his disbelief, making him feel as if there was a bit of truth to what Cindy had said.

So what if Gabby was Patrick's daugher. That didn't mean anything. She probably just came to Retroville in order to live with her aunt.

It wasn't that Jimmy was mad at Cindy. She hadn't done anything wrong. She'd just told him her idea, and he'd blew up at her.

Jimmy turned left at the next corner he came to. He still didn't know where to go. Perhaps the boys bathroom? Jimmy nodded to himself, and decided that was where he would wait until lunch.

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Gabby knew there was no turning back. It was the middle of class, and no one would be in the hallways. She would go to the honors classroom, and tell the teacher that Jimmy needed to go to the office. Maybe her teacher wouldn't question what she was doing out of class. That would be when she would make her move.

The gun still stay in it's hiding place in her backpack, which was thrown across her shoulder. _Now to go get Jimmy. . . _thought Gabby to herself.

But, after walking a few more moments, she realized that it wouldn't be neccissary. She could see Jimmy strolling towards the restrooms at the other end of the hall.

"Hey, Jimmy!" she called, immediatley getting the attention of the genius.

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Cindy knew something bad was going to happen. She could feel it.

Cindy strolled down the long hallways, desperatley looking for Jimmy. She had to find him, and fast. Her gut feeling told her that something bad was going to happen. . . and it involved him.

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"Gabby?" asked Jimmy, as she caught up with him. "Why aren't you in class?"

"No reason." she answered abruptly, pulling her backpack slowly from her shoulders.

"Do you feel alright? Are you sick?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine." she whispered.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, noticing the desperate look on her face.

"Nothing." she said, unzipping the backpack.

"Are you sure? Because, you look sick. Do you want me to take you to the nurse?" he asked.

"No." was her simple answer.

Jimmy noticed that Gabby was barely listening to a word he was saying. She was more interested in the backpack she held in her hands.

"What's in the bag?" he asked.

Gabby quickly slipped the gun from the pack and pointed it in Jimmy's face.

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Cindy gasped at the scene she was witnessing. She had walked upon the two teens, and heard their conversation. She stood at the corner, out of sight, but she could still see them.

Gabby had pulled a gun on Jimmy. Cindy's heart sank when she saw the look on Jimmy's face.

It was a strange look. It was a mix between hurt, realization of betrayel, desperation, and utter confusion.

That look almost broke her heart.

Cindy snapped from her thoughts, and realized that she had to do something. She just didn't know what.

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REVIEW!


	8. Accusations and Proof

**VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE! **As most of you already know, Jimmy Neutron may be cancelled. Nickelodeon hasn't ordered any episodes for season 4. We are all trying very hard to save the show, but we need more people. If you'd like to help, please write letters and send them to-

Nickelodeon

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

Please send letters. . . I know that most of you love the show, and would hate to see it cancelled, so just write as many letters as you can. Either handwritten, or typed will be appreciated! **WE HAVE TO SAVE JIMMY NEUTRON! **OH, and thanks everyone who reviewed!

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Cindy stood perfectly still. There were no words in the English language to describe what she was feeling. It tore at her to see Jimmy in such a compromising position. He looked so helpless, and shocked that a friend would betray him like that.

She could almost hear the quickening pace of Jimmy's heart. She listened intently to the few words that Jimmy managed to utter.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice caked in fear.

Cindy's eyes widened. She had never seen Jimmy mored scared than he was at the moment. In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd never seen him scared before. Even when they were being held hostage, he'd kept his cool through the whole thing. Even when he'd wrestled the gun from Patrick's grip, he'd done it without showing so much as a glimpse of fear.

Gabby sighed and said, "It's simple. You killed my father."

Jimmy couldn't hide his surprise. "So Cindy was telling the truth?" he asked, more calmly, now.

"What do you mean?" asked Gabby, clearly confused.

"She told me. She said that Patrick was your father, and I didn't believe her. I thought that there was no way you were related to such a monster." he replied.

"Don't talk about my dad like that!" screamed Gabby, jabbing the gun further in his face. "So, that brat thinks she knows everything. . . " she growled.

Jimmy was mad now. "And, you don't talk about Cindy like that." he demanded.

"Oh, I really don't think you're in a position to tell me what I can and can't do. I'm the one holding the gun, not you! I can't wait to see the look on Cindy's face, when she finds out that I shot her boyfriend. It's going to break her heart." replied Gabby.

"What do you have against Cindy?"

"Although you're the one who actually pulled the trigger, I know it was partly Cindy's fault that my dad was killed. I want to make you both pay. You, by taking your life. Sure, that's terrible, but I think Cindy's getting the worse end of the deal. She's going to have to go through life knowing that it's her fault I killed you. She's going to have to live without you for the rest of her life, and that's one of the worst punishments. . . to live the rest of your life without the one person you love the most." said Gabby.

"Like Patrick and you? You really loved your father didn't you?" asked Jimmy, clearly trying to avert the conversation away from the topic of Cindy.

"Yeah, I did. He was the only person I had left. My mother ran out on us, and he raised my by himself. I looked up to him! And you took him away from me!" yelled Gabby, tears now forming in her eyes.

" I had to!" countered Jimmy. " He was going to shoot Cindy! What else was I suppose to do? Just let her die? Like you said, I would have rather got shot then go the rest of my life without her." he said, looking at the floor.

"Dad would have never shot her! He wouldn't have! How can you say such things about him? You barely knew him." replied Gabby, the tears now pouring from her eyes.

"Have you even heard the whole story? Your dad held us hostage! He was robbing a bank! Would a wonderful person do that? I don't think so!"

"Exactly! He wouldn't have done it. He couldn't have."

"But he did!" said Jimmy.

Cindy had heard enough. She knew the smartest thing to do would have been to went and gotten help, but she was afraid that she would have been heard, because her crutch made much noise as she walked down the hall. Being in the hallway, there would be nowhere to hide, and she would most likely be shot. Instead, she spoke.

"Jimmy's telling the truth." she said calmly.

"Cindy! What are you doing?" asked Jimmy, surprised that she had been there the whole time.

"I'm returning a favor." she said with a sad smile.

"Good. Now I won't have to tell you about killing him. You can witness it first hand, and that will be even worse." said Gabby, not turning towards Cindy, in fear that the gun would be taken away from her.

Cindy slowly walked with her crutch around Gabby and stood beside Jimmy.

"You have to believe us." she said simply.

"I can't!"

Then, Cindy had and idea.

"What if I have proof? Proof that your father held the whole bank hostage. Then, you have to agree to let us go, and leave Retroville for good. " said Cindy.

"Alright. If you can prove it, then I'll leave you alone." said Gabby.

Jimmy gave Cindy a questioning look, as she took his hand.

"Follow me." she said.

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I know that was a little short, but the next chapter will be longer.

Please review!


	9. Don't Think, Just Run

Thanks for the reviews(and multiple death threats j/k) that I got for my last chapter. I've almost met my mark, but I would appreciate more reviews, no matter what they say, good or bad. I'd like to remind you one more time to write letters in order to save Jimmy. The address is

Nickelodeon

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

Write as many letters as you can this month! We're going to swamp Nickelodeon with them, and get a 4th season!

Here goes. . .

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Cindy knew it would be difficult to get where they were going without arousing the suspicions of classmates and teachers. Because, although it was the middle of class, there were bound to be a few students who were skipping. She also knew that Gabby didn't trust her, although **she** wasn't the one with the pistol in her hand.

They marched through the hallways, unnoticed. Cindy had hoped that all of that had taken up one class period, and everyone would be out in the hall. But, on the other hand, she felt as if Gabby deserved to see what she was going to show them. She knew that it would most likely save her and Jimmy's lives.

Cindy had not let go of Jimmy's hand. One reason, though, was because it was much easier for her to move about with someone beside her, rather than using her crutches. She also wanted to make sure he was okay. He had looked so scared. At this thought, she held onto him even more tightly.

They reached the exit of the school with no mishaps. Cindy and Jimmy walked in front, while Gabby trailed behind, holding the gun at their backs. Why did that seem so familliar?

"Which way now?" asked Gabby, as they stepped out into the sunshine.

"Just follow me, I know where I'm going." replied Cindy, taking her chosen route.

Gabby nodded and told her to lead the way.

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Gabby was glad that it was the middle of the day. Otherwise, there would be people cluttering the streets, and plenty of questions would be asked of the unusual trio.

In a few moments, they stood in front of Cindy's home.

"What are we doing here?" asked Gabby, who knew that Cindy lived there.

"The evidence is in my room." she said.

Gabby gave her a doubtful look, and said, "I don't think so. You're going to go in there and call the cops on me."

"I swear I won't. You can take all of the phones. We have to go in my room, though." replied Cindy.

Gabby sighed, "Okay."

They waited a moment for Cindy to unlock the door. Her parents were both at work, so there was no chance of being spotted.

The three teens trudged slowly up the stairs, Cindy in front. She knew that they had to enter her room, but it would feel a little strange having those two people in her room.

Cindy opened her bedroom door, let Jimmy and Gabby enter, and then closed the door, just in case.

It wasn't long until they were all standing around her computer.

"So, the evidence is on your computer?" asked Gabby, lowering her gun.

"Yes, it is." she said simply, pulling up a program.

"What is it?" asked Gabby.

"Surveliance tapes from the bank. The cops ran them onto CD's so I could watch it on my computer. On normal circumstances, that wouldn't be allowed, but my psychiatrist thought it would be good therapy to see the hold up from a different point of view." replied Cindy, pulling up the footage.

Jimmy mentally aplauded Cindy's quick thinking. It was the perfect evidence, and there was no way that Gabby couldn't believe it.

The tape started out normally enough. There were a few people in a line at the bank. Then, Cindy and Jimmy could be seen entering, talking. A few moments later, a tall figure entered and stood behind them in line.

"That's my dad!" shouted Gabby, in disbelief.

Cindy nodded and pointed to the screen.

Gabby couldn't believe what she was witnessing. Her father had grabbed Cindy, and held a gun to her head.

Gabby's free hand went up to her mouth in horror.

"No! That's not him! It can't be!" she shouted, stopping the video.

"Gabby, I'm sorry, but Cindy and I were telling the truth. " said Jimmy.

For a moment, Gabby didn't speak. She stood in stunned silence, as she thougth about what she'd just witnessed. Her father had held a gun to someone's head. But, he couldn't have! It was a trick!

"I don't believe you!" she said, finally, clenching her jaw tight.

"What! This is solid proof! How can you not?" asked Cindy.

"Your both smart. It's easy to doctor video tapes, I've done it before for class."she said.

"We didn't mess with the tapes. How could we? Jimmy and I went through a lot that day. Your father almost killed us both. It was the worst day of my entire life, and I'm not going to spend my entire day trying to prove that it actually happened." said Cindy. She was tired of Gabby. She was tired of the whole thing. She wanted to forget that it ever happened, and this girl just kept reminding her of it.

Gabby didn't speak. Instead, she raised the gun in front of her, and pointed it straight at Jimmy.

Then, she did speak. " Jimmy, I'm sorry that I couldn't believe you. I really am. When I first came here, I actually liked you. I considered forgetting my plan, but after you blew me off for her, I knew I had to do it."

"Goodbye, Jimmy." said Gabby, as she pulled the trigger.

"Don't think. Just run. " whispered Cindy, as she pushed off with her good leg. Forgetting the excrutiating pain of her other leg, she pushed Jimmy to the ground, and recieved the bullet meant for him in the process.

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Big Cliffie! Hmm. . . I could tell you what happens next. . . but only if I get a bunch of reivews. Come on. . . press the purple button. You know you want to! REVIEW!


	10. Bullets and Pearls

I was extremely pleased with the reviews last chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. . .I love you guys! Anyways, this next chapter might start off a little strange, but don't worry, you'll understand it later. Well, here goes chapter 10.

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Cindy felt nothing. She saw nothing. She heard nothing. She was nothing. She floated aimlessly in the realm of unconciousness. All around her was black. It was so dark. . . so different. . . and yet so peaceful. For a while, she enjoyed the peace around her, forgetting all that she was suppose to know. She let her worries and cares drift away, and add to the sea in which she bobbed up and down in.

After a little while, though, she grew worried. Everything began to come back into focus. She remembered that she should be worried, and for great reason. She knew that someone she cared about had been in danger, and she'd prevented it. . .

Cindy began to flail her arms and legs, as if drowning. She needed to wake up. She had to. She no longer liked the place in which she was. It became a raging ocean, instead of a peaceful bay, and she wanted to leave it.

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Gabby stared, horrified at what she'd done. She had actually pulled the trigger, and shot someone. Of course, she hadn't been aiming for the target that she'd hit, but all the same.

Jimmy was squated next to Cindy's limp body, not minding the pain in his side from his old wound. He felt for a heartbeat, and miraculosly, felt one.

"She's alive!" he said, turning towards Gabby.

The gun slid from her hand, and fell with a clatter on the floor. This wasnt' suppose to happen.

"I. . . I. . ." was all she managed to say, as she seated herself on Cindy's bed.

"You shot her." replied Jimmy, solomely.

"I. . . I didn't mean to. It wasn't suppose to happen. " she said, still shocked.

"What do you mean? You didn't mean to! You pointed the gun at me and pulled the trigger!" he shouted, glaring at her, but not moving from Cindy's side.

"I'm sorry. . ." she choked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Your sorry!" demanded Jimmy, " You almost killed her! We have to do something, though, or it might happen."

But, then something even more miraculous happened that the heartbeat. Cindy stirred.

"She's moving!" said Gabby, pointing beside Jimmy.

Jimmy turned to the girl lying on the floor, and sure enough, she was moving.

"But how? She took a bullet to the chest. . ." he said.

Cindy moved once more, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Cindy! You're alright! But how?" he asked, clearly amazed.

She slowly sat up, and examined where the bullet had supposedly entered her body.

"I don't believe it. . ." muttered Gabby from Cindy's bed.

The bullet had been stopped. Exactly where it would have entered, Cindy's pearl had guarded. The pearl now had a large hole in it, not all the way through, because the bulled had apparently changed it's course, and bounced out.

Jimmy helped pull Cindy to her feet.

They both glared at Gabby, but no longer thought of her as a threat, for she was too shocked to shoot anyone else.

He motioned for Gabby to move, and let Cindy sit on her own bed.

For a few moments, no one spoke, but then, Jimmy said simply, "You saved my life."

"No, you saved mine." replied Cindy, as she fingered her necklace.

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A few things. I know that was a little short, and maybe rushed, but don't worry the story isn't over. Be patient, I have another surprise up my sleeve. . . mwa ha ha mwa ha ha. . .

REVIEW


	11. Shocking Visits

Thanks for the reviews! I really want you all to know that it's your comments that keep me writing, and thanks again for telling me what you think. Hopefully, this chapter will be longer and better. . . so more reviews, okay? Well, here goes!

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"Are you sure you wanna go?" questioned Cindy, looking across the table at Jimmy. They were seated in their normal booth at the Candy Bar. It was late Saturday morning, and the group had decided to hang out together. Libby and Sheen sat in a seperate booth, talking about what they were doing that night, while Carl sat at the counter, sampling Sam's ice cream.

That gave Jimmy and Cindy the opportunity to talk about what they were going to do that day.

"Vortex," started Jimmy, playfully, "Either I'm losing my touch, or I'd say you were a little scared."

"I'm not scared. I just don't know what I'm going to say." said Cindy, playing with her ice cream in her bowl. She shoveled up spoonfulls of ice cream, and then dropped them back into the bowl, waiting for Jimmy to reply.

"Look, Cindy, it's been over a month since it happened." said Jimmy, finally. He surveyed his companion carefully, studying her face for any sign of emotion.

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_"How could you do this to me?" asked Gabby, pleading with Jimmy, as they led her into the hospital._

_"It's for your own good." he replied, ignoring the pleads he heard from inside the building._

_"I'm not crazy! I don't need to be put in a loony bin!" said Gabby, struggling with the large man who held onto her arm._

_"It's not a loony bin, Gabby. It's in-patient therapy. It will help you with your anger issues, and help you find other ways to deal with them." said Jimmy._

_"Yeah, instead of pulling a gun on someone," muttered Cindy, who was still upset at the turn of events. She was glad that Gabby would be getting help. She had heard great things about Tall Oaks, they were the best around. She just couldn't help but be angry with Gabby, and with good reason. After all, she had pulled a gun on her and Jimmy._

_Gabby finally relented to the large man, and stared quietly for a second._

_"Alright." she said. "I'll go. But, promise me that you'll come and visit." she said._

_Jimmy found that an odd request coming from this girl. A day earlier she had wanted him dead._

_The large man nodded, willing to give anyting to get her into the hospital._

_"Of course." replied Jimmy. _

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Cindy and Jimmy stood in front of the mental hospital. It was a squat building, completely composed of brick. The sign out front portayed the name of the place.

"Okay, so we go in, say hi, and then leave." said Cindy.

"No. We have to see how she's doing. I know that you may not like her, but she's not that bad." he said.

"Not that bad! Not that bad!" questioned Cindy, now in hysterics. "She pulled a gun on you. If it hadn't been for this necklace, then one of us would have been killed." continued, not pointing out that it would have most likely been her.

"Calm down, Cindy. " he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Cindy allowed his hand to stay in it's place, but only for the simple reason that she wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying, but instead of what she was going to say when she saw Gabby.

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"Miss Bennet. . ." said the orderly, as she knocked on the door, "You have visitors."

Gabby watched as Cindy and Jimmy strolled into the room. She had never seen Cindy without her crutch, and had to admit that she was much more gracefull without it.

"Hey." she said.

Since Gabby was one of the high risk patients, she had to be monitored while having visitors. The large man from when she was put into the hospital sat in a chair beside the window, reading the newspaper.

"Hi, Gabby." said Jimmy

"I was wondering when you guys would come. It's been so long since i've seen someone from the outside world." she joked.

Jimmy and Cindy sat side by side in the visitors' chairs and waited for Gabby to speak again.

"So, what have you been up to?" she asked, wanting to start the conversation off normally.

"Nothing much." said Jimmy. " I've been working on a dematerializer."

"Oh, really?"

Jimmy nodded in reply.

"And what about you, Cindy?" asked Gabby, politely.

"Nothing." she said, cooly.

"Cindy. . . Jimmy. . . " started Gabby, looking up from the bed on which she sat.

She continued, "This past month, I've learned a few things. I finally realized that it wasn't your fault that my father was killed. I know that he brought it upon himself, no matter how much it hurts to realize it." she said.

Jimmy and Cindy exchanged glances. This wasn't what they had expected to hear.

"Also, I wanted to say that I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I know how stupid I've been. I can't believe what I did!" she said, her voice wavering, crackling, tears threatening to fall.

"Gabby, I know how hard it must have been to lose your dad. And, I just want to say that I forgive you." said Jimmy, nudging Cindy, wanting her to do the same.

"I. . . " started Cindy, but then she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't just forgive her for what she tried to do. She tried to kill you. You may be able to forget that easily, but I'm not going to."

Jimmy sighed, he wasn't that surprised at Cindy's reaction.

Gabby opened her mouth to speak, but was interupted by the sound of another knock on the door.

"You have another visitor, Gabby. " said the orderly, as she led a woman into the room.

The woman was beautiful. She had sandy brown hair, and green eyes. She wore a business suit, clearly a lawyer, or something of the type. That's exactly who Cindy thought she was, Gabby's lawyer.

A few seconds later, she realized her mistake.

The expression on Gabby's face was indescribable. It was a mixture of confusion, anger, and most of all want of an explanation.

"Hey, Gabby!" said the woman, as she rushed to her bedside, and gave her a huge hug.

"Hi, mom. . . " said Gabby, uncertainly, as she returned the hug.

Once again, Jimmy and Cindy exchanged confused glances.

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Okay, so the chapter wasn't as long as I'd hoped, but anyway, please review. I know it seemed that I kind of skipped ahead a little , but I had to. Oh and don't forget to write letters to save Jimmy. The address once again is

Nickelodeon

1515 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

**WE HAVE TO SAVE JIMMY!**

review!


	12. Under the Stars

A few things before I begin. I've realized that lately my writing hasn't been as good as it could be, and I blame that partially on writer's block. I'm sorry that I dissapointed you guys in the last chapter. Like I said, my writing, not so good. Oh, and Cindy and Jimmy aren't together yet, since they admitted their feelings in the first story, but neither one is exactly sure that the other one heard. Therefore, their relationship may take a little while to start up. I also know that I kind of steered away from the J/C relationship in the last chapter, and mainly focused on Gabby, but this chapter will focus more on them. Well, in case you haven't fell asleep yet through my ramblings, then please read and review!

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The house was entirely quiet. No sound could be heard exept for the slow and steady breathing of the inhabitants who were sleeping peacefully in their beds. Hugh and Judy always slept peacefully. They never knew when their son had snuck out, or when one of his late night experiments had gone wrong. They didn't even stir, and this night was no different.

Jimmy sat up in his bed. It was a night, just like any other. Ever since the bank incident, Jimmy had been unable to sleep peacefully. It was easy enough for him to fall asleep, sure. But, eventually he would be dunked into a horrifying dream. A nightmare, really, of the holdup. The dream always started off the same. He and Cindy stood in line, and then Patrick appeared behind them, just as he had done in reality. Then, though, it turned bad.

Instead of saving Cindy, she had been shot. He hadn't been able to wrestle the gun away, and Patrick had shot her point blank. Those terrible images of the blonde screaming for help, and then being silenced by the sound of a gun shot made Jimmy cringe. He couldn't bear the thought if that had actually happened.

Jimmy sat up even more in his bed when he thought of his dreams. What could they mean? Was he going crazy, or was he just scared out of his mind at the thought of losing Cindy, even though he had never really had her?

At that moment, Jimmy slightly regretted convincing his parents that he didn't need a shrink. He had told them that everything was okay, and it didn't bother him. Everything wasn't, and it did. He hated waking up to those screams. . .

Jimmy had to get out of there. He knew that if he lay back down, he would eventually fall back to sleep, and the dream would start up again, and he didn't want that. Instead, he touched his feet quietly to the floor, and scooted off his bed. He was going out.

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Unbenounced to Jimmy, Cindy also sat awake in the house across the street. She hadn't been able to sleep that night either. Usually, she was able to get in a few hours, because of strong sleeping pills, but had forgotten to take them that night, and didn't want to wake her parents by bounding into their room and asking for them.

Most of the time, Cindy's nerves could be calmed by fresh air. She used to take a jog every morning before injuring her ankle, and new it was about time to start again. Cindy snuck down into the living room without her parents knowledge. That wouldn't have been hard, though, they could sleep through a tornado. She slipped on her tennis shoes and quietly eased the door open, and was met by a blast of fresh air. Just what she needed.

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Jimmy was in the park. It was the only place that he could think of to go. The Candy Bar had closed hours ago, and Retroland, also. The park never closed. He leaned back on the hard green bench and studied the stars. That had always been a favorite hobby of his. He loved to pick out constellations and name the stars that made them up. It was an easy task, and always made him forget his troubles.

This night, however, he had trouble. He kept mixing the names of the most well known stars, and couldn't remember what constelations they belonged to.

Jimmy sighed. He rested his head in his hands, and didn't hear the approaching foot steps, and was startled when he heard Cindy' voice.

"Neutron?" she questioned, but not with a bit of malice in her voice.

"Oh, hi Cindy." he said, looking up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, taking the seat next to him.

"I was just. . . taking a walk and I decided to rest." he lied quickly.

"Really? Taking a walk at 3 in the morning?" she asked, forgetting that was exactly what she was doing.

Jimmy nodded, and turned to look at her.

"So, how do you think Gabby is taking the news about her mother being back in town?" he asked. That was the only thing he could think of at the moment.

"I don't know." replied Cindy. "She seemed a little shocked yesterday, and I have to admit that I was, too."

"Yeah." he said shortly. He didn't really want to talk about Gabby, though he was the one who brought her up.

"You really like her don't you?" asked Cindy.

"Well, yes. But. . . just as a friend." added Jimmy quickly.

"I know that you were expecting me to accept her apology, but I just couldn't. I mean, after what she almost did to you. . . there's no way that I could." said Cindy.

"Actually, I knew that you weren't going to accept it. And, I know that you have write to do that. It's just that, I wish you would try to be nice to her. Her father just died, and I'm the one who killed him" he said.

Just then a realization hit Cindy. He was feeling guilty.

"Jimmy? You do know that it wasn't your fault don't you?" she asked.

"I know. But, somehow I can't help but thinking that I could have prevented his death if I had tried."

Cindy placed a hand on Jimmy's shoulder, just as he'd done the day before. "It's not your fault." she said, sternly, hating Gabby even more for making Jimmy feel that way.

Cindy leaned forward and gave him a small hug. It was the only thing that she could think to do at the moment. She started to pull back, but hesitated for a small moment. He was so close. . .

He couldn't help but think of how pretty she looked. The moonlight bounced off of her hair perfectly, leaving a soft glow around her, and a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. And the hug had made it even worse. It felt great having her so near him, but terrible at the same time. Sure, he knew what the feeling was, and he'd felt it for the past few years. Everytime he saw her, it came to life, and he couldn't say that he didn't like it. It was just, he was tired of it lingering there. He knew that something could be done about the feeling, that would make it even better.

Cindy's heart beat wildly in her chest. It felt so strange. . . only a few months before had they fought constantly, arguing over everthing under the sky. Sure, she loved a good argument, and he was her best opponent. She loved the feeling she got when she actually managed to outsmart him, which even she had to admit wasn't that often.

And only a month and some odd days ago had she refused to speak to him, in fear that something would happen. But now she wanted something to happen. Now that they were alone, it was different.

She knew something was going to happen. She could sense it in the air. Their was a spark of what could be called electricity around the two teens, and she could feel it. She was almost sure that he could, too.

So, after years of waiting, Jimmy and Cindy looked at each other. They seemed to be drawn close by some invisible force, making them lean in, if ever so slightly. Right before their lips touched, Cindy hesitated for a moment, in fear that everything would change. But, then that fear was washed away in a sea of emotions as their lips finally touched in their first real kiss.

If someone told Cindy to write down what she felt at that exact moment, she would need forever to do so. There were so many emotions in that one kiss. Years of waiting poured forth into that one act, and Cindy was glad. For, as they were released, she felt as if a heavy burden was being lifted from her shoulders. She felt like she could do anything she liked, if she wanted to. She could no longer see the reason that she and Jimmy had fought all of those year, and realized they had been extremely childish in doing so.

They slowly pulled away, and turned their heads away from one another, blushing furiously. Now, everything came flooding back. Cindy remembered why they had fought, and what she had just done. She was scared. She was terrified that something momentous had just happened, and it would change her life forever. She had waited for so long, but now that it was over, she felt as if she lost something. For one thing, she lost her right to hate Jimmy. No matter how hard she could pretend afterwords, nothing would ever be the same between the two.

Finally, they glanced at one another, after feeling the heat wear off of their faces. Neither spoke, but instead studied the stars above their heads, forgetting the rest of the world and just concentrating on that moment in time.

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okay, I know, like I've already said, not good at kissing scenes. I also know that there was no action in that chapter, and I'm sorry. And, although Jimmy and Cindy finally kissed, that does not mean that they are together. . . yet. Please review. And don't worry, the next chapter will hopefully have more action.


	13. The Reason

Thank you for all the reviews from the last chapter! I don't have much to say exept thanks, and please continue R/R!

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Gabby still couldn't believe what was happening. She was seated on the edge of her hospital bed, facing the woman she had once called Mom.

Her mother had been allowed to stay overnight, since there were special circumstances. Now, she sat in the chair next to Gabby's bed, looking at her daughter with a mixed expression on her face. They hadn't spoken since Cindy and Jimmy had left the afternoon before. Actually, her mother had attempted to speak, but was silenced by the glare that Gabby gave her.

The only reason that they were still awake so early in the morning, was that Gabby's medicine was keeping her up, instead of making her sleep. It always did; and no matter how many times she told that to the nurses they continued to give her the same doses. Her mother didn't want to fall asleep and leave her daughter alone, so she faught the urge to sleep.

After a while, the silence gerw uncomfortable. Finally, Gabby's mother tried to speak once more.

"So, how have you been?" she asked, reaching for her daughter's hand.

Gabby quickly pulled her hand a way and responded, "Why do you care anyway, Karen?"she said, using her mother's first name.

Gabby couldn't help but notice the hurt look on her mother's face. But, it didn't make her feel guilty. Instead, it made her feel good. Her mother deserved it for what she had done.

"Why did you come here?" asked Gabby, glaring once more.

"I come to see you. After hearing what happened to your dad, I couldn't just leave you alone." said Karen.

"Oh, really? You didn't have a problem leaving eight years ago." shot back Gabby, hurting her mother once more.

"Gabby, that was a long time ago. I made a mistake. Can't you forgive me?"

Gabby shrugged and asked in an unusually quiet voice, "Why did you leave us? Did you not love Dad anymore? Did you hate me?"

Karen's eyes widened for a second, and then she spoke.

"Of course not! I loved your father." she said firmly. "I still love him, even if he's gone." she looked down at the floor. She had to be strong.

"And Gabby, " she said, taking her daughter's hand firmly this time, so she wouldn't be able to take it away.

"I didn't hate you. I could never hate you. It wasn't your fault. I left because your father and I were having problems. I only planned to leave for a few days to think. I tried calling the house, but your dad was so stubborn. . . he told me not to come home. So I didn't."

Gabby remembered one day after her mother left. She called, and Gabby picked up the phone. " Hi, Honey." was all she heard her mother say before her father snatched away the phone, and whispered something inaudable into the reciever.

Gabby was pulled from her memories when her mother squeezed her hand.

"So, you came back to take me away?" asked Gabby.

"No." said her mother with a gleam of malice in her eye. "I came back for revenge."

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Yay! Another cliffie. . . kind of. Anyway, please review! And, I knew that was a short chapter, but I had to get to that point in the story before I could go in the direction that I want to go.


	14. At Lunch

I'm sorry that's it's been a little while since I've updated, but I've been working on another J.N fiction, It should be online in a few weeks. I really hope that you'll all like it. . . anyway, here's the next chapter, please enjoy, and review!

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Cindy hadn't really expected anything to change between her and Jimmy after their night under the stars, so she wasn't dissapointed the next day in class. When she walked into the classroom the next day, she spotted Jimmy in his normal seat, and sat down across from him. She gave a small smile, which was returned, but nothing after that.

She was exhausted. She'd only gotten a few hours asleep, so it took all of the strength she could muster to keep her eyes open, and atempt to listen to the teacher.

Although Cindy didn't like the reason that Gabby wasn't there, she did like the fact that she wasn't. It gave her more opportunities to talk to Jimmy alone, and there was also more room at the table. The teacher had wanted to let another student fill Gabby's place, but had been reassured that she would be back in class in no time. Cindy really hoped not.

Cindy becamed so absorbed in her thoughts, that she didn't notice when the bell rang for lunch.

Cindy actually liked eating lunch in the cafeteria. The food was much better at the high school than the elementary and jr. high schools that she had been to. It also gave her a chance to see Libby. She hadn't had much time to talk to her best friend, since they didn't have much time together during the day. Cindy also knew that there were more reasons for them losing touch. Libby spent nearly all of her time with Sheen. Cindy smiled everytime she saw them together, because it gave her hope that if they could be together then perhaps, so could she and Jimmy.

She walked to the lunchroom, fast pace, it felt so good being able to use both legs again. As she walked in, she saw Libby and walked to the booth in which she sat.

"Hey, girl!" said Libby, enthusiastically.

"Hey, Libs. Where's Sheen?" asked Cindy. Normally, he would be sitting next to Libby already.

Libby looked down at the food in front of her.

"What's wrong?" asked Cindy. Her friend was usually so upbeat, she rarely saw her upset.

"Oh, Sheen and I. . . we're kinda taking a break right now." she said, slowly, looking up.

"Really, why?" asked Cindy.

"I don't know. I guess, we were just going a little to fast."

"What do you mean?", asked Cindy, sincerely concerned.

"Well, last night, when Sheen and I went to the movies. . . the night started off normal enough. But, then when the movie was over, and we were wating for my mom to pick us up. . . Sheen, he said. . ."

"He said what? Was it something mean?" said Cindy, angry now. If he said anything mean to her best friend, he would regret it.

"Oh no! It wasn't mean. He said. . . he said that he loved me." said Libby, looking at her best friend.

Cindy almost felt like laughing. Her friend was upset because her boyfriend told her that he loved her? What was wrong with that.

"And?" asked Cindy, confused.

"I don't know. I guess, it was just a shock, and I wasn't ready for it. I mean, we're only freshmen. We have our whole lives to find that special person. I guess I just got scared." said Libby.

"Look, Libs. I know that we're fourteen. But I also know that you and Sheen are meant for each other, and that he really meant it when he said that he loved you." said Cindy.

For a moment, Libby looked out the window, and thought about what Cindy just told her. Then a look of realization spread across her face as did a smile.

"You're right! Sheen's never lied to me before, so I know that he must have been telling the truth when he said that he loved me. . . thanks, Cind, you've been a lot of help."

"Okay, so now the only question is, do you love him, too."

"You know what. . . I think I do!" said Libby.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go tell him!" said Cindy, shoing her best friend.

Jimmy saw Libby pass and wondered what was her hurry.

He sat down across from Cindy.

"So, what's her hurry?" he asked.

"Oh, she's gotta go tell Sheen that she loves him." said Cindy, simply.

"Really. . . ." said Jimmy uncomfortably. He was proud for his best friend, but it felt strange talking about it with Cindy.

"Yeah."

Jimmy was glad that Carl sat down a few moments later.

"Hey, Jim, Cindy." he said, sitting next to his best friend.

"Hey Carl." said Jimmy, while Cindy gave a small smile.

"Oh, Carl, I'll need you to come over the lab today to help me test out a few new inventions." said Jimmy.

"Sure, Jimmy. . ." said Carl, uncertainly. He really didn't like being a guinea pig, but he'd do anything for his best friend.

"Hey, Jimmy. . . why don't you invite Cindy to come to. Actually, you should invite Sheen and Libby, too! And then, we can have a big party, with movies, and cake. . .. and those little weiners!" said Carl.

"Uh. . . sure." said Jimmy. The no-girl rule for his lab had been abolished since they were thirteen, so he saw no reason for everyone not to come over.

"Great! I'll go tell Libby and Sheen." said Carl, as he bounded off to find his friends.

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Gabby still couldn't believe what her mother had told her. She had came back for revenge, just as Gabby had. Since the night before, they had talked about the subject, and Gabby had told her mother that there was no way that she would help. After all, she had been in the hospital for a long time, so she didn't want to ruin it.

But still. . . although she had apologized to Jimmy and Cindy for everything, she couldn't help but think that somehow it was still their fault that her father was dead.

So, after hours of debating with herself Gabby made a decision.

Although her mother had walked out on her years ago, and had just came back into her life, she was going to help. And although she had tried to convince herself that she was over Patrick's death, and that she no longer blamed Cindy and Jimmy, she knew that wasn't true. She did believe it was their fault, and now, with her mother's help, she was going to get them once and for all.

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I know, that chapter wasn't that good. But, I had to find a way to bring Libby, Sheen, and Carl back into the story, because it felt like I was neglecting them. Besides, maybe I have a card up my sleeve for what happens at the party. . . you never know. So, don't worry, the next chapter will be better. Well, please review.


	15. Payback

Well, thanks for the reviews. Sorry if my writings a little off, but I've been busy reading the new Harry Potter book. But, now that I've finished it. . . Here goes.

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Jimmy had completely forgotten about the fact that he had invited his friends over for a small get together that afternoon. But, as he walked home, he was reminded of it. On, most occasions, he would have taken the bus, but since it was warm out, he had bade his friends farewell and decided to walk.

When Jimmy arrived as his house, he decided that he would grab a few snacks from the kitchen for the party. His parents would be out of the house the rest of the afternoon, shopping. This, Jimmy was glad for, because when he walked in the front door, he was horrified at what he saw.

The place was crawling with teenagers. Everyone in his entire grade seemed to fill his humble abode. He knew the only explanation for the intrusion was Sheen and Carl.

Jimmy looked frantically about the room, trying to block out the images of the people in his house, with lampshades on their heads, while they sprayed mists of Purple Flurp at each other, searching for a sign of Carl and Sheen.

Finally, when he reached the kitchen, he found Sheen and Carl sitting at the table.

"What happened?" he asked, frantically.

"What are you talking about, Jim?" asked Carl, innocently.

"Oh, I don't know. . . maybe the huge party that's going on in my house!" he exclaimed.

"Chillax, Jimmy. We just invited a couple of extra people! We didn't think you'd mind." said, Sheen smoothly. He was obviously in a good mood, the result of his conversation earlier that day with Libby.

"A couple of extra people? More like the entire population of Zimbabwe!" said Jimmy, losing his temper.

"The more the merrier!" said Carl, shoving a miniature wiener in his mouth.

Jimmy made a noise, between a sigh and a groan. This wasn't good.

"We have to get these people out of here, before my parents get home!" said Jimmy, frantically.

"Don't worry, Jimmy. We made sure that your parents will be gone for a long time. . . " said Sheen, recieving a questioning look from Jimmy.

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"Honey, I think we need to call for help." said Judy to her husband.

"Don't be silly, Sugar Booger, I'll have the car fixed in no time." said Hugh, peeking out from under the hood. " I just don't understand how the transmission could have just dissapeared like that. . . "

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"No time for explanations right now, guys. We need to find a way to get everyone out. I would use the same thing I did last time, but I'm making a few modifications at the moment. " said Jimmy, looking at his best friends.

"Aww, Come on Jimmy. Can't we just let them stay for a little while?" pleaded Carl.

Jimmy sighed, "Alright" he said. Jimmy had a sinking feeling in his stomach, telling him something was going to go wrong. He had no idea how right he was.

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Cindy gripped her purse so hard in her hands that her knuckles turned pure white.

Libby looked questioningly at her best friend and then asked, "Are you nervous?"

"Of course not, this is just some stupid party, after all."

"Okay." said Libby giving her a knowing look.

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Gabby was free. She had no idea how her mother had done it, but she was free. At the moment, she was in the front seat of her mother's corvette, and they were cruising down the road.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see." said her mother.

A few moments later, they pulled up in front of Jimmy's house.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"Well, I told you that I came back to town for revenge, and now I'm going to get it. " said her mother stepping out into the bright sunshine.

"Right." said Gabby. She knew that she wanted to help her mother, but then what was that sinking feeling that she felt in her stomach as they got out of the car, walked up the front steps, and rang the doorbell?

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	16. Sweet Revenge

I know, it's been like a month since I last updated. One reason, my computer messed up again. The other, I think I'm growing a little bored with this story, and I hate when that happens. It's really not my fault, I just have writer's block. So, please don't be too harsh on the last two chapters of the story, because I'm just tired. I've been really busy also, preparing for starting high school. . . anyway please enjoy and review!

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"That must be the twenty pizzas I ordered!" exclaimed Sheen, as he leapt from his seat at the kitchen table.

Sheen made his way through the large crowd, stopping every now and then to high five someone or tell them that the pizzas had arrived. Eventually, he reached the front door and flung it open.

He and his stomach were highly dissapointed when the door was opened. Instead of pizza stacked up to the ceiling beside a freckled face delivery guy, there were only two people standing outside the door.

Sheen gazed at the two ladies for a moment, knowing that he had seen the teenager before. If only he could remember where. . .

He shook his head, and invited them in. In his mind, more people meant a better party.

As soon as Gabby and her mother walked into the room, the atmosphere changed from bright and cheerful to dark. The music halted as if by a magical force, and an eerie silence fell upon the room, and no one moved.

Everyone knew all about Gabby and what she'd done. Sure, they also knew that she'd gotten help, but there was no way they would forgive her for attempted murder.

Jimmy, who still stood in the kitchen, wondering how he was supposed to get everyone out, noticed the change of the party. He strolled into the living room and immediately realized what the problem was.

"Hi, guys. . ." he said quickly, to Gabby and Karen, walking towards them.

"Hello Jimmy." Gabby replied, tensly. She stared constantly at the floor as if looking at him would turn her to stone.

"Glad you could make it." he said uncertainly, scanning the faces of the people around him. In his mind, they had nothing to be mad about. He and Cindy were the ones who'd had to deal with everything, not them. After all, even he'd been able to forgive Gabby for what she'd attempted to do.

"No problem." said Gabby, gritting her teeth. Something was obviously wrong.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, so that no one else in the room could hear. Instead of backing off, everyone moved closer.

"Nothing." said Gabby.

From the corner of his eye, Jimmy watched Karen. Although he'd only met her once before, he could sense that she and Gabby had never had a wonderful relationship. He could see the hurt look in Gabby's eyes the first day he'd met Karen.

He turned his attention back towards Gabby, for only a split second. But for Karen, it was enough time.

Jimmy didn't even see the pistol being pulled from Karens coat, until a moment later, when there was an audible gasp around the room. Then, everyone did back up.

He looked at Karen, mouth agape. But, he'd been through similar situations so many times before in the past few months, that the shock wasn't as great as it would have been.

"Put the gun down." he said.

Karen hadn't been expecting that. She had the gun, and he felt so inclined to tell her what to do? Not a chance.

Jimmy could hear a choking sound coming from Karen, and at first he thought that she was having an attack. But then, he realized with sick amazement that she was laughing.

"You really think that I'm just going to drop the gun, just because you said so? You've got to be joking!" she said.

At that point, Jimmy had expected Karen to lower the gun at him, and take aim. But instead, to his horror, she handed the gun to Gabby.

"Finish him off." said Karen.

Gabby's hand rested on the trigger. For the first time, she looked up from the floor, but still she didn't look at Jimmy.

Seconds passed, then half a minute.

"I said finish him off!" shouted Karen.

Gabby looked at Jimmy, and pointed the gun straight towars him.

"Gabby," said Jimmy, calmly, as if talking to a baby, "You don't have to do this."

Gabby narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have to do what she says. You can just put the gun down and walk away."

Gabby looked at him for a moment, and then looked towards her mother as if asking her what she should do.

After recieving a repriving look from her mother, she turned back towards her target.

"No, " she said, "I do have to do this. For my father. You killed him."

"He didn't." said a voice. At first, Gabby had no idea where it was coming from, but then she turned towards the open door, and realized that Cindy had walked into the room.

"What are you talking about? He pulled the trigger, and my father died. He killed him. It's as simple as that." said Gabby.

"No, it's not. They were fighting for the gun! Your dad tried to shoot me! Jimmy was just trying to prevent someone from dying, and he did- he saved me. And, I'm sorry that your dad died, I really am. But, you need to understand that it wasn't Jimmy's fault." said Cindy.

Jimmy gave Cindy a look of thanks, as Gabby lowered the gun, if only slightly.

"But it was. . . it was. . " protested Gabby, in a low voice. "Wasn't it?" she asked, as she turned to look at her mother.

"It was." lied Karen. "It's all their fault. Now kill them! Avenge your dad, for you and for me. We loved him, and we lost someone we loved. Now, kill them." she said, urging on her daughter.

A look of realization spread across Gabby's face, as if a long forgotten memory had crept back into her thoughts.

"You didn't love him! You didn't love me! You left us, without an explanation, and you never came back until now. Why should I listen to you, and do what you say? You may have gave birth to me, but your not my mother." spat Gabby.

"I am your mother! You have to do what I say. If not, then I was right about you. You're worthless! That's why I left, because of you. You were just a worthless child, and I knew that's all you would ever be." Karen shouted back.

Karen lunged at Jimmy, then clawing at his throat, despite the fact that Cindy had grabbed ahold of her hair in an attempt to stop her.

Gabby knew what she had to do. . . it was the only way to save one of the people who had only been nice to her.

Gabby raised the gun, level with the fighint pair. She sqeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to witness what was about to happen. Then, she pulled the trigger.

When Gabby opened her eyes, she immediately looked towards where she had shot. There, her mother lay in a pool of blood.

Cindy and Jimmy had moved away from Karen, in an attempt to give Gabby some room.

Despite the fact that Gabby hated her mother more than anyone, and despite the fact that she hadn't seen her for seven years- despite everything that Karen had done to Gabby, somewhere deep inside she still loved her. And that was the part of her that forced her legs to walk forwards and kneel at her mother's side.

"Mommy. . ." she said, in a whisper, avoiding looking at the bullet sized wound in her mother's chest. "I'm sorry." she said.

Karen's breathing was growing incresingly shallower, but she still managed to utter in a small voice, "No. . .you have nothing to be sorry for."

With that, Karen took her last breath. Gabby lay her head upon her mother's stomach and cried.

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Okay, I know a little morbid, shooting her own mother. I also know that I strayed away from Jimmy and Cindy a little, but don't worry, I just had to sort of wrap up that story line before I could end the story with a bang. . . and believe me next chapter will focus on Cindy and Jimmy once again, it will also be the last chapter. Well, please review.


	17. These Words

Well, here it is, the last chapter! Hopefully it will satisfy all of your wants of J/Cness. Now I'll have more time to work on my other J.N. story Because You Live. If you haven't read it, please do. I think it will be my best yet. Okay, since this is the last chapter, I'd like to get more reviews than usual. Well, go ahead and read on. READ AND REVIEW!

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Gabby stood over her mother's body. She looked so peacefull. Her eyes were closed and rested, her clothes were neatly pressed, and her make-up was flawless. Gabby ran her finger across the shiny surface of the coffin. She had done it. She had killed her mother. And yet, she felt just a small dot of remorse. . .

Gabby was glad that there had been plenty of witnesses around when her mother was killed. A whole room full of people couldn't lie about witnessing the murder. She had been defending an attept at murder. It was as plain and simple as that.

Gabby turned at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hi, Gabby." said Jimmy. He and Cindy stood side by side, dressed in their best clothing.

"Hey." she said, uncertainly. She hadn't talked to them in a few days, not since the day of the party. Things had just been so complicated. Her life had been moving at warp speed.

"I'm sorry about your mom." said Jimmy, looking at his feet. He wasn't sure if that was an appropriate thing to say, but it was too late to take it back.

"Thanks." said Gabby.

Cindy and Jimmy took their seats at the back of the church and waited for the serivice to begin. They had expected the church to be nearly empty, since Karen wasn't really known. Of course, they hadn't thought about the fact that her face had been plastered on every newspaper in the state, and many in the country.

Not that they were sad to sit in the back of the church. They prefered it that way actually, since their faces and names had also been included in the papers.

Gabby also took her seat on the front pew. Everyone waited silently for the music to begin playing and the preacher begin speaking.

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". . . she was a wonderful woman, and will be dearly missed." droned on the preacher. Of course, he hadn't known anything about Karen, and had only said what he'd been told.

Cindy sighed and looked at her watch. It had only been thirty minutes since the funeral had begun, but it felt like an eternity. She and Jimmy had recieved many glances throughout the service, and by the end she was eager to leave.

Finally, the precession left the church, slowly, one by one, including she and Jimmy.

"That was. . . nice." said Cindy.

She and Jimmy had decided to go to the park before meeting their friends and the Candy Bar. They knew that their friends would try hard to help them get through anything, but they had been through so much together. They needed just a small amount of time alone before facing the world.

"So. . . what's going to happen to Gabby now?" asked Cindy, as she sat on the park bench.

"Well, she's fourteen, old enough to choose where she wants to live. Of course, her aunt is just about the only person in her family still alive. . .so. . " replied Jimmy.

Cindy nodded her head. She hated talking about such uncomfortable subjects, but she had really wanted to know.

"I'm just glad that it's finally over." said Jimmy, after a moment of silence.

"Yeah. . . ." said Cindy, glancing and the tree they were sitting under. "So, should we head over to the Candy Bar? The guys are probably waiting. . ."

"No. I told them that we would meet them at four."said Jimmy, glancing at his watch.

"But it's only two now. Are we going to sit here for two hours?"

Jimmy laughed. "Do you know what today is?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's Sunday, so what?" she asked, with a confused look on her face.

"You're telling me that you actually forgot!" asked Jimmy.

"Forgot what?" she asked. Was it supposed to be a special day?

"Here." said Jimmy, pulling a box from the bag at his feet. He handed it to Cindy, who took it with a shocked expression on her face.

"What's this for?" she asked, examining the box.

"Your birthday." he said, simply.

She had completely forgotten that it was her birthday. Cindy wondered how she could have forgotten such and important day. But of course, she hadn't been aware of much lately, exept all of the drama that had been affecting her life. So, it wasn't that great of a shock that she had forgotten that she would turn fifteen on that day.

"I completely forgot." she admitted. "How did you remember, when I didn't?"

Jimmy shrugged and urged her to open the box.

Cindy sighed and removed the lid from the small box in her hands.

"Oh. . ." was all she could say. She removed the object from its box, and examined it more closely.

It was a necklace. It was thin, and gold, obviously real. It didn't have a diamond or any other type of pendant, which she found rather odd.

"It's for your pearl. I saw the chain that you had it on. . . and I figured. . . "

"Thanks." she said, glancing at her feet.

Cindy unfastened the necklace around her neck and slid the pearl off. She placed it instead on her new chain.

"It's beautiful." she said, putting it around her neck.

"Wait. . . that's only part of your gift." said Jimmy.

Cindy gave him a curious look and waited for him to say more.

"I wanted to tell you something." he said, looking her square in the face.

_Oh boy, thought Cindy. This is it. . . _

Cindy nodded him to continue.

"I told you at the hospital, but I wasn't sure if you heard me or not."

He opened his mouth to continue, but instead was interrupted. " I did." said Cindy.

"You did?" he asked, although he had already had a pretty good idea that she had heard him, from the way she'd avoided him the entire summer.

"Well then. . ."he said, clearing his throat. "I guess that's that."

"No." said Cindy, looking up. " I want to hear you say it."

That, Jimmy had not been expecting. It was hummiliating enough telling her the first time, and she'd been unconcious. Now, she was fully awake, and expecting it.

"Alright. . . I lo. . . lo. . .you know this is harder than it looks." he said, sheepishly.

"It's not that hard." replied Cindy. "All you have to say is I love you."

"You do?" he asked.

_Crap. . .thought Cindy. _She had wanted him to say it first, but too late.

"Yeah, didn't you know?" she asked.

"Sure." he said. "And I. . .I love you, too."

Cindy had to listen very closely to what he'd said, he'd said it so fast. But, she had heard him.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"We go to the Candy Bar and enjoy your surprise party." he said, standing up. "I bet you're eager to open presents."

"Not really. What could be better than this?" she asked, stainding up, and taking his hand. She already had what she wanted.

As they walked, Cindy thought.

Things were so much different. When they had been little, it was all about competing, and thriving on each other's humiliation. Sure, they hadn't really hated each other as they'd claimed, but they had been at the age where the opposite gender wasn't accepted. But now, they were in high school. Things had changed for the better. There was no more fighting. No more arguing. Frankly, Cindy kind of missed it. . .

Cindy laughed. Jimmy glanced at her and wondered what she was thinking. He shrugged. He would never understand the interworkings of a woman's mind. As they finally approached the Candy Bar, and pushed the door open, still hand in hand, they were met by a burst of familliar voices.

For a moment, time froze in Cindy's mind. Although everything had changed so much over the years, not everything had. Carl would always love llamas. Sheen would always be in a constant battle between which he loved better- Libby or Ultra Lord. And, of course, thought Cindy, she and Jimmy would always compete in school. But deep down, down, she knew that things were changing for the better. And, as she gazed around the room and the smiling faces of her friends- Sheen and Libby, sitting at a booth, Carl at the counter, and Gabby talking quietly with a group of people, and Jimmy standing beside her, his hand laced in hers- she realized that she wouldn't want it any other way.

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I know, very sappy and full of fluff. But, how else would I write an ending. I wasn't really completely satisfied with the last few paragraphs, but I hope it's alright to you. Please review! and don't forget to read my new story- BECAUSE YOU LIVE


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